


Unexpected Space

by Wishful86



Series: Tales of the Unexpected [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Advice, Gen, M/M, Not all deep- some humour, References to Child Abuse, References to Illness, Support, listening, nothing explicit though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 01:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6683815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishful86/pseuds/Wishful86
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It was a Saturday. Two weeks since the trial. Two weeks into trying to give happiness a go.' </p><p>Aaron is trying to move on but it's hard. Harriet ends up helping.  </p><p>I don't quite know where this came from. But here it is. Hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Space

Harriet opened the door to the church and stepped inside without paying attention. She was trying to check whether she had actually dropped her half written sermon in her bag. However, in the process of looking, something, or rather someone, caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Looking up across the church properly, she was able to make out who the person was and it caught her by surprise. Sermon promptly forgotten, she quietly closed the door behind her and made an approach towards the sitting man. 

.....

It was a Saturday. Two weeks since the trial. Two weeks into trying to give happiness a go. 

This particular Saturday, Aaron found himself alone for the first time in that two weeks. He'd either had his mum or Cain (or half the village) still fussing over him, his little sister demanding his attention, been at work or he had been sharing time with Robert. None of this was bad- he loved his family, Liv had already cemented a place in his heart and Robert, well, Robert was making his heart skip beats, if he was honest- but none of it was exactly giving him much space to think. To process. 

After finding that he would have time to himself what with Liv spending time with Gabby, his mum shopping with Moira and Robert agreeing to accompany Diane on some business thing involving the B&B, Aaron had decided to skype Paddy knowing this time they could have a lengthier catch-up. They were starting to reconnect again but while this was a good thing, it did mean that Aaron was starting to feel the geographical distance between them more with each time they spoke. His feelings of missing Paddy were what led him to take a walk for some air. He'd received a few texts from Robert along the way and he sat down on a bench in order to properly respond. It was then that he saw them. He heard their laughter first. It was proper carefree laughter- the kind that warms the heart. Ashley and Arthur were playing football on the village green. Badly. But neither seemed to care. Arthur would run after the ball then scuff the shot at the last minute and Ashley would run after ball trying to put his foot out to stop it but fall over it instead. Aaron watched them and found he had to try and hold back from laughing. They really were useless. He almost wanted to go over and show them how it was done. He had always been rather good at football. His dad had...his dad...his dad...

Aaron froze to the bench. He heard Arthur's giggle again. Arthur playing football with his dad without a care in the world. He found himself wondering how old Arthur was. He then watched Ashley and remembered. Ashley was ill, wasn't he? This whole picture wasn't as perfect as it looked. But still Arthur laughed and...

Aaron couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up and walked away. He started towards the pub but then stopped. He couldn’t face anyone if they happened to have come home. He couldn’t face anyone anyway. He didn’t want them to see. He didn’t want them to know what he had been thinking. They were all moving on. It wouldn’t be fair to pull them back. Realising he couldn’t linger in the street forever, he tried to think of where he could go. He used to go and sit at the pavilion but that would involve walking passed the laugher. Why was he starting to panic? He just needed to think. There must be somewhere. There must be...ah...

 

...

“Aaron?” Harriet asked as she got closer; he had his head down and she didn’t want to startle him. Thankfully, he didn’t seem too startled as he turned to look at her. She couldn’t help but notice his eyes were slightly tinged red. 

“Hey,” he offered with a small smile. 

Harriet smiled back and came to a stop beside him, “I’m surprised to find you here. Well, I mean, the church is open to all but...” 

Aaron bobbed his head, “Yeah...I, erm, I wanted some space.” 

“Ah,” Harriet nodded.

“I know, I'm not relig...I just thought...I wanted somewhere quiet,” Aaron tried to explain.

“Aaron, I don’t mind you being here,” Harriet told him honestly, “In fact, do you want me to leave you for a bit longer? I was only going to try and finish my sermon.”

Aaron didn't respond. He sat with his head slightly bowed. 

“Do you want me to get someone?” Harriet wondered if that was best since he was obviously bothered by something. However, Aaron's eyes shot up at that,

“No, no,” he stated, “Please don’t.”

“OK, OK,” Harriet agreed readily not wanting to upset him any further. She pondered her options as Aaron wasn't forthcoming with conversation and resorted to rambling, “I've left things to the last minute again. I did mean to start this sermon earlier in the week but then-“ 

“How old is Arthur?” Aaron's question stopped Harriet and she furrowed her brow in confusion. 

“Ashley’s Arthur?” she asked in order to get some clarity. 

“Yeah,” Aaron confirmed. 

Harriet shrugged, “He’s nine, I think. Or he may have had a birthday? Gosh, I should know this.” She suddenly felt guilty for her lack of a definite answer. Given that she had once been so close to Ashley and his family, she felt this was information that she should just know. However, Aaron cut through her thoughts,

“I watched them,” he told her, “I watched them playing football.”

“OK,” Harriet stated and she slid into the pew in front of Aaron but sat turned so she faced him. He glanced up at her before speaking again,

“They looked so...perfect together. Him and his dad,” he pulled at his sleeves before continuing in a whisper, “but it's not perfect, is it?”

Harriet tilted her head; her mind was trying to sense where the young man was going. 

“Ashley isn’t well,” Aaron sniffed, “Arthur is going to loose his dad. You couldn't see that though. They looked so happy.”

Harriet swallowed the lump building in her throat, “They are making the best of it.”

Aaron nodded and then looked straight at her, “I was jealous.”

“Jealous?” Harriet frowned, not getting it.

Tears were now forming in Aaron’s eyes, “I know, it's wrong. To be jealous of a kid whose dad is going to die. But if my...dad...had died then he wouldn’t have...he couldn’t...” 

Harriet froze in realisation. Aaron’s dad had abused him. She didn’t know the details but she knew enough. She felt tears start to prick in her own eyes as she caught up with the meaning of Aaron's words; if his dad had died then there would have been no abuse. 

“I know it’s wrong,” Aaron repeated again wiping at his eyes. 

Harriet took a breath, “Aaron, no one is going to judge you for wanting things to have been different.”

Aaron scoffed, “Not even God?”

So used to people having these moments, Harriet didn’t react but she saw Aaron’s instant regret,

“Sorry,” Aaron dropped his head briefly.

Harriet sighed, “We can’t change the past, Aaron” She watched as the young man raised his head again and sent her an almost withering glare but she wasn't finished, “I know, ‘state the obvious why don’t you Harriet?’ but although it's obvious it is a damn hard thing to deal with.”

Aaron blinked from his glare and picked at his sleeve before stating with a small voice, “I’m trying to deal with it.”

Harriet barely knew the young man sitting before her but in that moment she wanted to reach out and hug him. However, knowing that would far too intrusive she searched her brain for words that may help,

“Aaron, I can’t pretend to know what you have been through but I know that if I ever start wishing things had been different, I try and focus on what I wouldn't change now.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well...” Harriet wondered for a moment how to proceed. Deciding to keep things general and vague she continued, “I’m not exactly close to my own family because of things that have gone on but then I think of the friends I've made here. Ashley, Bob, Edna...Pearl fussing around me. Although her trying to set me up with every available guy that walks into the vets, I could do without. She’s quite forceful when...” She trailed off as she saw that she’d made Aaron snort out a small laugh.

“Pearl's got quite the reputation round here,” Aaron said. Harriet quirked her brow a little at his remark but he shook his head, “Something Robert said.”

“OK,” Harriet nodded unknowingly. She waited to see whether Aaron would keep talking but he didn’t so she started again, “And I have my job. A job that I love. But it’s a job that I wouldn’t have if something bad hadn't happened... “ Now she was thinking about Ashley.

Aaron tilted his head at her admission and she smiled at him before speaking, “Yeah, that’s a... story but it does make me appreciate the job more.”

Aaron bobbed his head, “I'm changing my name.”

“Oh?” 

“Its funny cos when Gordon kicked me out, I was so relieved. I was out of there. Away from him. But then I had to come here and I hated it,” Aaron was staring straight ahead and Harriet wondered whether she should say something to regain his focus but the younger man shook himself back to the room, “I didn’t get on with my mum and there were all these new family members laying down the law.”

Harriet couldn’t help but smile but she saw Aaron frown a little at her reaction so she explained, “Sorry, I just...well, I imagine the Dingle’s were quite a facing.”

Aaron's eyes softened and he nodded, “Uncle Zak gave me a speech more or less as soon as I arrived. Cain and Eli were always trying to stir up trouble. I was trouble then though. I was all over the place.”

Harriet felt like saying it was understandable but she decided against it and instead chose to prompt him back to the present, “So…this name change?”

Aaron nodded, “Gordon’s lawyer said something in court and it made me realise that I should be a Dingle. Officially. They were the ones that stuck by me and my mum is amazing. I want to be all hers.”

“I bet she's so proud.”

Aaron shrugged, “We're so close now. And I've got my sister.”

Harriet attempted to blink back the tears in her own eyes, “Sounds like there is some good-“

“And I've got Robert” Aaron cut in with a surprised laugh, “My boyfriend is Robert Sugden.”

“Well...you have bagged yourself quite the looker there,” Harriet chuckled with a wink.

Aaron snorted, “Please don’t tell him that. His ego is big enough.”

Harriet watched how Aaron’s eyes twinkled. Oh she knew that look; that was the look of someone who had fallen deeply. She wondered if Robert knew? That was none of her business though so she moved on, “Seems like things are working out,” she mused softly. 

Aaron shifted a little, “I suppose.”

“You don’t sound convinced?” 

Aaron went quiet again but this time Harriet let him sit a moment learning that he would speak in his own time. Sure enough he did, “They are all moving on. And I'm trying, like I said, to deal with it and then bang! It hits me again, like it did today. But I don’t want to tell them because...well, because they’re moving on.”

Harriet sighed, “They would want to help you.”

“I know but they've done so much already,” Aaron’s voice broke half way through the sentence and Harriet couldn’t stop herself this time; she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. She was relieved to find he while he glanced at her hand, he didn’t flinch away. 

“Aaron, they love you. And I am sure they would be there to listen in a heartbeat but...” Harriet knew she was taking a risk with her next suggestion but she went there anyway, “but you know, there are people you can talk to...”

“Therapists?” Aaron’s quick understanding both surprised and relieved Harriet. He carried on, “Yeah...I know,” Aaron’s shoulders hunched, “Just never quite get round to making the call. If I do that then everyone will know that I still can't cope.”

“No, Aaron, no, they'll understand that you are getting the help you need. They'll probably feel better for it,” Harriet argued gently. 

“I suppose.”

“You don’t sound convinced again,” Harriet noted with a hint of amusement this time.

Aaron snorted lightly and smiled, “I don’t know what they'd make of this?”

Harriet narrowed her eyes in question and Aaron gestured to her and then the room, “Me, in a church, talking to you.”

“Ah,” Harriet laughed, “Well, it's a bit unexpected for me too, if I'm honest.”

The young man continued to smile but then he bit his lip, “You won’t tell anyone?”

“Oh no. No,” Harriet assured him. 

Aaron nodded, “Yeah...thanks for, you know, listening.”

“No problem. Anytime,“ Harriet told him, “Well, maybe not Sunday mornings, eh?”

Aaron smiled then frowned, “I should go. You've got things to do.”

Harriet shook her head, “There really is no rush. I can just work quietly in the corner.”

“No, no, it’s OK,” Aaron said standing and fidgeting. 

Able to see that the young man was now feeling awkward and also looking very much like he didn’t want to leave but felt he had to, Harriet offered an alternative, “You know, actually, if you have the time, I could do with some help?”

“Sorry but I'm not great with words,” Aaron replied. 

Harriet blinked, “No, not with the sermon. Although, any input at this point would be welcome. No, hymn books.”

Aaron’s eyes narrowed, “Hymn books?”

Harriet thought it best to show Aaron so she too stood and gestured for Aaron to follow. They ended up at the back of the church facing a table piled high with mixed up hymn books. “It’s OK, you can say no, but these need sorting back onto the new shelves over there.” As she pointed towards the new shelves, she suddenly felt rather daft. Of course Aaron wouldn’t want to help. What a stupid-

“Do you want them in any particular order or...?’ Aaron asked, already holding a few books.

Taken completely by surprise, Harriet stared at him dumbly for a moment. It was only when Aaron started to shift awkwardly that she realised she needed to speak, “Er...no. I'd just put the green ones nearer the bottom because we use them less.”

“Ok,” Aaron nodded and he continued to pick up books and started to move them. 

Deciding that she couldn’t stand there watching him, Harriet made her way to collect her bag so she could sit and finish that sermon. As she did so, she smiled. She hadn’t been lying when she told Aaron that she loved her job but having only just returned to it, she had been finding it hard and was constantly doubting herself. But something about the conversation with Aaron gave her a new feeling of confidence. She flicked her eyes over to him as she continued to move the books. He looked more at ease than he had earlier and she’s helped to make that happen. Perhaps, she could do this. 

The next day, Harriet received more compliments about her service than usual. 

...

“An orange juice, please, Chas,” Harriet said as she took her place at the bar next to Ashley and Laurel. 

“I'll get this, mum,” Aaron said suddenly appearing at her side. 

Chas' eyes narrowed at her son and everyone else looked confused. 

“I...er...thanks?” Harriet said looking up at him with a puzzled smile. It had been a week since they had spoken in the church and aside from the odd ‘hello’ and sharing a knowing look neither had talked since. 

“What's this?” Robert asked coming to stand on Aaron’s other side. He'd obviously sensed something different was going on. 

Aaron bowed his head before raising it again and squaring his shoulders, “Harriet is the reason I called my therapist again.”

Harriet felt like the eyes of the whole pub were on her. She was surprised by Aaron’s admission but as he smiled at her, she nodded, “We had a bit of an impromptu chat the other day. Glad it helped.”

“You give good advice,” Ashley complimented from her side. 

“I think this drink should be on me,” Chas smiled handing over the orange juice.

“I’ll get the next one then,” Robert said as he rubbed Aaron’s shoulder, “I'd been wondering what prompted his decision.” 

Harriet shook her head, “There’s really no need. All I did was listen.”

“Well, listening is important,” Laurel pointed out.

Aaron nodded, “And...I am Aaron Dingle. Officially.”

Harriet grinned, “Yeah?”

“Got the letter this morning,” Aaron told her with shining eyes, “I'm moving on.”

“That's great. Really great,” Harriet told him with warmth. She was so pleased for him.

Robert sniffed, “Yup, and I am officially dating a Dingle. Got to be honest, never thought that would happen.”

Aaron snorted, “Carry on like that and it won't happen.”

“Yeah, be careful, you,” Chas warned but there was humour in her eyes. 

Harriet laughed and nudged Aaron, “Perhaps Zak should give him a speech.”

“Pffft,” Aaron frowned before he smirked, “It’d be Cain now.”

“Oh I'd pay to see that.”

“So would I.”

“Not quite sure what's going on here,” Robert admitted, “but, I hate to break it to you- Cain has already given me a speech. About me and Aaron.”

“He has?” both Chas and Aaron asked at once causing Harriet, Ashley and Laurel to laugh. 

Chas narrowed her eyes, “No, no, you look far too...alive.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Robert stated flatly. Although he couldn’t help but be amused by the mixed look of horror and embarrassment on Aaron’s face.

“What... Erm...what did he say?” Aaron managed to ask.

Robert shook his head, “I am not, under any circumstances, allowed divulge that information. Let’s just say, its not something I’ll forget.”

“And you made it out alive,” Laurel added giving a nod to what Chas said.

“And I made it out alive,” Robert repeated smirking, “That's always a bonus.”

Aaron shook his head, “I’m not sure how I feel about this.”

Harriet nudged him again. “Good job you called that therapist, eh?” she joked.

Aaron huffed out a laugh, “Yeah, you’re not wrong.”

Harriet smiled and raised her glass, “To Aaron Dingle then.”

“To Aaron Dingle,” Everyone answered and Aaron's eyes sparkled with joy. 

...

**Author's Note:**

> I am working on the conversation between Cain and Robert...


End file.
